Reviews

Sunn O)))Ulver

Terrestrials

Southern Lord

Sunn O)))'s compositions sound delicate despite carrying the weight of a Mack Truck. It's not until eight minutes into Terrestrials' opening track—when quiet rumblings give way to a foreboding horn blast—is Ulver's presence truly felt. Sunn O))) started this collaboration with the Norwegian group following a performance at Øya in 2008; the spontaneous jam was embellished via scattershot recording sessions over the next five years. The three tracks—stretching 35 minutes—bring together both units' sensibilities, but closer "Eternal Return" does it best. Building from prolonged bass notes and strings with swells of hushed feedback, Ulver permeate the mix with spacey synthesizer accoutrement and Kristoffer Rygg's sonorous vocal work; the soundscape feels like a terrifying Philip Glass composition. Terrestrials bolsters both bands' oeuvres. (www.sunn.southernlord.com)